by Daniel Defoe
the city.
_Care to be had of Unwholesome Fish or Flesh, and of Musty Corn._
That special care be taken that no stinking fish, or unwholesome flesh, or musty corn, or other corrupt fruits, of what sort soever, be suffered to be sold about the city or any part of the same.
That the brewers and tippling-houses be looked unto for musty and unwholesome casks.
That no hogs, dogs, or cats, or tame pigeons, or conies, be suffered to be kept within any part of the city, or any swine to be or stray in the streets or lanes, but that such swine be impounded by the beadle[86] or any other officer, and the owner punished according to the act of common council; and that the dogs be killed by the dog killers appointed for that purpose.
ORDERS CONCERNING LOOSE PERSONS AND IDLE ASSEMBLIES.
_Beggars._
Forasmuch as nothing is more complained of than the multitude of rogues and wandering beggars that swarm about in every place about the city, being a great cause of the spreading of the infection, and will not be avoided[87] notwithstanding any orders that have been given to the contrary: it is therefore now ordered that such constables, and others whom this matter may any way concern, take special care that no wandering beggars be suffered in the streets of this city, in any fashion or manner whatsoever, upon the penalty provided by law to be duly and severely executed upon them.
_Plays._
That all plays, bear baitings,[88] games, singing of ballads, buckler play,[89] or such like causes of assemblies of people, be utterly prohibited, and the parties offending severely punished by every alderman in his ward.
_Feasting prohibited._
That all public feasting, and particularly by the companies[90] of this city, and dinners in taverns, alehouses, and other places of public entertainment, be forborne till further order and allowance, and that the money thereby spared be preserved, and employed for the benefit and relief of the poor visited with the infection.
_Tippling-Houses._
That disorderly tippling in taverns, alehouses, coffeehouses, and cellars, be severely looked unto as the common sin of the time, and greatest occasion of dispersing the plague. And that no company or person be suffered to remain or come into any tavern, alehouse, or coffeehouse, to drink, after nine of the clock in the evening, according to the ancient law and custom of this city, upon the penalties ordained by law.
And for the better execution of these orders, and such other rules and directions as upon further consideration shall be found needful, it is ordered and enjoined that the aldermen, deputies, and common councilmen shall meet together weekly, once, twice, thrice, or oftener, as cause shall require, at some one general place accustomed in their respective wards, being clear from infection of the plague, to consult how the said orders may be put in execution, not intending that any dwelling in or near places infected shall come to the said meeting while their coming may be doubtful. And the said aldermen, deputies, and common councilmen, in their several wards, may put in execution any other orders that by them, at their said meetings, shall be conceived and devised for the preservation of his Majesty's subjects from the infection.
Sir JOHN LAWRENCE, Lord Mayor. Sir GEORGE WATERMAN, } Sir CHARLES DOE, } Sheriffs.
I need not say that these orders extended only to such places as werewithin the lord mayor's jurisdiction: so it is requisite to observe thatthe justices of peace within those parishes and places as were calledthe "hamlets" and "outparts" took the same method. As I remember, theorders for shutting up of houses did not take place so soon on our side,because, as I said before, the plague did not reach to this eastern partof the town at least, nor begin to be violent till the beginning ofAugust. For example, the whole bill from the 11th to the 18th of Julywas 1,761, yet there died but 71 of the plague in all those parishes wecall the Tower Hamlets; and they were as follows:--
Aldgate, 14 { 34 { 65 Stepney, 33 The next { 58 To { 76 Whitechapel, 21 week was { 48 Aug. 1 { 79 St. Kath. Tower.[91] 2 thus: { 4 thus: { 4 Trin. Minories,[92] 1 { 1 { 4 -- --- --- 71 145 228
It was indeed coming on amain, for the burials that same week were, inthe next adjoining parishes, thus:--
St. L.[93] Shoreditch 64 The next week { 84 To { 110 St. Bot.[94] Bishopsg. 65 prodigiously { 105 Aug. 1 { 116 St. Giles's Crippl.[95] 213 increased, as { 431 thus: { 554 --- --- --- 342 620 780
This shutting up of houses was at first counted a very cruel andunchristian method, and the poor people so confined made bitterlamentations. Complaints of the severity of it were also daily broughtto my lord mayor, of houses causelessly, and some maliciously, shut up.I cannot say but upon inquiry many that complained so loudly were foundin a condition to be continued; and others again, inspection being madeupon the sick person, and the sickness not appearing infectious, or, ifuncertain, yet, on his being content to be carried to the pesthouse,was[96] released.
As I went along Houndsditch one morning, about eight o'clock, there wasa great noise. It is true, indeed, there was not much crowd, because thepeople were not very free to gather together, or to stay long togetherwhen they were there, nor did I stay long there; but the outcry was loudenough to prompt my curiosity, and I called to one, who looked out of awindow, and asked what was the matter.
A watchman, it seems, had been employed to keep his post at the door ofa house which was infected, or said to be infected, and was shut up. Hehad been there all night, for two nights together, as he told his story,and the day watchman had been there one day, and was now come to relievehim. All this while no noise had been heard in the house, no light hadbeen seen, they called for nothing, sent him of no errands (which usedto be the chief business of the watchmen), neither had they given himany disturbance, as he said, from Monday afternoon, when he heard agreat crying and screaming in the house, which, as he supposed, wasoccasioned by some of the family dying just at that time. It seems thenight before, the "dead cart," as it was called, had been stopped there,and a servant maid had been brought down to the door dead; and the"buriers" or "bearers," as they were called, put her into the cart,wrapped only in a green rug, and carried her away.
The watchman had knocked at the door, it seems, when he heard that noiseand crying, as above, and nobody answered a great while; but at last onelooked out and said with an angry, quick tone, and yet a kind of cryingvoice, or a voice of one that was crying, "What d'ye want, that you makesuch a knocking?" He answered, "I am the watchman. How do you do? Whatis the matter?" The person answered, "What is that to you? Stop the deadcart." This, it seems, was about one o'clock. Soon after, as the fellowsaid, he stopped the dead cart, and then knocked again, but nobodyanswered; he continued knocking, and the bellman called out severaltimes, "Bring out your dead;" but nobody answered, till the man thatdrove the cart, being called to other houses, would stay no longer, anddrove away.
The watchman knew not what to make of all this, so he let them alonetill the morning man, or "day watchman," as they called him, came torelieve him. Giving him an account of the particulars, they knocked atthe door a great while, but nobody answered; and they observed that thewindow or casement at which the person looked out who had answeredbefore, continued open, being up two pair of stairs.
Upon this, the two men, to satisfy their curiosity, got a long ladder,and one of them went up to the window and looked into the room, where hesaw a woman lying d
ead upon the floor, in a dismal manner, having noclothes on her but her shift.[97] But though he called aloud, and,putting in his long staff, knocked hard on the floor, yet nobody stirredor answered, neither could he hear any noise in the house.
He came down again upon this, and acquainted his fellow, who went upalso; and finding it just so, they resolved to acquaint either the lordmayor or some other magistrate of it, but did not offer to go in at thewindow. The magistrate, it seems, upon the information of the two men,ordered the house to be broke open, a constable and other persons beingappointed to be present, that nothing might be plundered; andaccordingly it was so done, when nobody was found in the house but thatyoung woman, who having been infected, and past recovery, the rest hadleft her to die by herself, and every one gone, having found some way todelude the watchman, and to get open the door, or get out at some backdoor, or over the tops of the houses, so that he knew nothing of